Creating A Sweet Cheese Plate: Dessert Delights

A dessert cheese plate is a wonderful way to end an evening, and a great alternative to traditional sweet desserts. Any type of cheese can be served as a dessert course, but some of the most popular options include nutty hard cheeses such as Manchego, aged gouda, and aged cheddar; soft ripened bloomy rind cheeses like brie and camembert; blue cheese; and goats cheese. These cheeses can be paired with a variety of sweet accompaniments such as dried fruit, honey, caramel, candied nuts, fruit jams, and spreads, as well as sweeter-style crackers. Fresh fruit and plain crackers can also be added to the plate to provide a contrast of fresh, light ingredients and prevent the dish from becoming overly sweet.

Choose dessert-friendly cheeses like goat, creamy and mild cheeses, or sharper hard cheeses

When creating a dessert cheese plate, it's important to choose cheeses that will pair well with sweeter flavours. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is a classic choice for dessert cheese plates as it pairs naturally with sweeter flavours. It can be dressed up in a variety of ways, such as with crushed marcona almonds, honey, cranberry chutney, or fig spread. You can also find goat cheeses that already have fruit in them at your local grocery store. For a real treat, try pairing goat cheese with a fruit and nut crisp cracker and a drizzle of honey or a side of fruit jam or chutney.

Creamy and Mild Cheeses

Creamy and mild cheeses such as ricotta, brie, or triple-crème cheeses are excellent choices for a dessert cheese plate. These cheeses have a buttery, mild flavour and a luxurious, whipped texture. Look for cheeses like Saint Andre, Explorateur, Delice de Bourgogne, Mt. Tam, Largo, or Champlain Valley Triple.

Sharp Hard Cheeses

If you're looking for a harder cheese to include on your dessert cheese plate, consider something like cheddar or Parmesan. These cheeses have a sharp, salty flavour that can stand up to sweeter accompaniments. Aged cheddar, in particular, has a slightly sweet and nutty flavour with a hint of caramel that pairs well with fruits, nuts, and sweeter crackers.

When assembling your dessert cheese plate, remember to choose your accompaniments carefully. Fresh berries, figs, apples, and other fruits can complement the cheeses without overpowering them. If you want to add some sweeter treats, consider dark chocolate or candied nuts. And don't forget the wine! A dessert wine, port, or stout can be the perfect pairing for a dessert cheese plate.

Choose sweets carefully: opt for fruits like berries, figs, and apples, or small amounts of dark chocolate and candied nuts

When it comes to dessert cheese plates, the cheese is the star of the show. But choosing the right sweets to accompany the cheese is essential to creating a delicious and well-rounded dessert.

Fruits like berries, figs, and apples are excellent choices. Their natural sweetness and acidity complement the cheese without overwhelming it. Berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, add a juicy touch to the plate and pair exceptionally well with cheeses like goat cheese and blue cheese. Figs, on the other hand, offer a unique flavour profile that marries beautifully with cheeses such as brie and blue cheese. Apples, particularly sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp, provide a crisp and refreshing contrast to the richness of the cheese.

Small amounts of dark chocolate can also be a delightful addition to a dessert cheese plate. Its bitterness and sweetness create an intriguing flavour profile that pairs well with cheeses like manchego, aged gouda, and blue cheese. Candied nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, add a crunchy texture and a touch of sweetness to the plate, making them an ideal partner for cheeses like goat cheese, brie, and blue cheese.

When selecting sweets for a dessert cheese plate, it's important to consider the balance of flavours and textures. The key is to choose sweets that enhance the cheese without overpowering it. By selecting fruits, chocolate, and nuts that complement the specific cheeses on the plate, you can create a harmonious and indulgent dessert experience.

Pair with wine: try Layer Cake Wines' 2015 Shiraz with gouda and fruits like grapes and pears

A dessert cheese plate is a delightful way to end a meal, and a wonderful alternative to a traditional sweet dessert. When crafting a dessert cheese plate, it's important to consider the wine pairing, as the right wine can elevate the entire experience.

Layer Cake Wines 2015 Shiraz is an excellent choice for a dessert wine. With its rich blackberry, dark cherry, and chocolate ganache flavours, it adds a decadent touch to the dessert cheese plate. The wine's aroma is just as enticing, with notes of cocoa, warm spice, and dark fruit.

When pairing Layer Cake Wines 2015 Shiraz with a dessert cheese plate, consider including gouda, grapes, and pears. Aged gouda, in particular, is a superb choice. Its sweet, salty, butterscotch flavour and hard texture resemble that of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The caramelised notes in aged gouda will beautifully complement the Shiraz's dark fruit and chocolate flavours.

Grapes, especially dark varieties, will be a harmonious pairing with the wine's blackberry and cherry notes. Pears, on the other hand, will add a refreshing touch with their crispness and subtle sweetness. The combination of gouda, grapes, and pears will create a delightful symphony of flavours that will enhance the wine's profile.

To further enhance your dessert cheese plate, consider adding other elements such as nuts, honey, or even some chocolate. The addition of nuts will provide a crunchy texture and a contrasting savoury note. Honey, especially a variety with floral notes, will add a luscious sweetness that pairs beautifully with the cheese and fruit. A few pieces of dark chocolate will also be a decadent touch, echoing the chocolate notes in the wine.

Accompaniments: add crackers, biscuits, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, fruit spreads, compotes, jams, caramel sauce, and chocolate

When creating a dessert cheese plate, it's important to include some sweeter accompaniments, such as crackers, biscuits, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, fruit spreads, compotes, jams, caramel sauce, and chocolate. However, it's also crucial to have a contrast of fresh, lighter ingredients, such as plain crackers and fresh fruit, to avoid making the pairings overly sweet or rich. Here are some specific examples of each:

Crackers and Biscuits

Offer a variety of crackers and biscuits, from sweeter options to more salty and plain varieties. For instance, if you have a pungent blue cheese, you may want the contrast of a sweet biscuit or cracker. On the other hand, if you're serving a richer, buttery cheese like baked brie with honey and walnuts, a plain cracker or crusty bread might be a better choice to offset the richness. Some specific suggestions include rosemary sea salt crackers, fruit and nut crisps, rye cakes, and cocoa cakes.

Dried Fruits and Fresh Fruits

Dried fruits such as apricots, dates, and figs, and fresh fruits such as strawberries, pear slices, grapes, and apple slices can be included. Fresh fruits act as a palate cleanser and add a touch of acidity to the plate. Grapes, in particular, are a classic pairing for any cheese plate.

Nuts

Walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, and macadamia nuts can all be served alongside your cheese selection. Toasting them lightly will enhance their flavour, or you can candy them for a special touch. Candied rosemary walnuts or pecans are a delightful addition to a holiday dessert cheese board. Toasted nuts also go well with baked brie or camembert, topped with fruit spreads, honey, and fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.

Fruit Spreads, Compotes, and Jams

Having at least one fruit spread, compote, or jam on your dessert cheese plate is a good idea. Sour cherry spiced wine compote, wild blueberry maple walnut compote, apricot jam, and fig spread are all excellent choices that pair well with a variety of cheeses. These fruit-based accompaniments provide a touch of sweetness without being overly sugary, making them perfect for cheese plates.

Caramel Sauce, Dark Chocolate, and Maple Syrup

These indulgent additions truly transform your dessert cheese plate into a decadent dessert. Drizzle a salty blue cheese with caramel sauce or pair aged gouda or aged cheddar with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit, such as sliced green apple. Dark chocolate is a complementary pairing with aged gouda, aged cheddar, and blue cheese.

Wine, port, stouts, and champagne: champagne goes well with creamy cheeses like brie and camembert

A dessert cheese plate is a delightful way to end a meal, offering a unique twist on the traditional cheese course. While any type of cheese can be served as a dessert, some are particularly well-suited to this role, such as blue cheeses like Dragon's Breath Blue, Roquefort, and Gorgonzola, which tend to be fairly mild and creamy. Aged gouda, with its sweet, salty, butterscotch flavour and hard texture, is also an excellent choice.

When crafting a dessert cheese plate, it's important to consider pairings that will enhance the flavour of the cheese. Sweet accompaniments like honey, jams, chutneys, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate are all excellent choices. For a truly indulgent experience, a glass of dessert wine, port, stout, or champagne is the perfect complement.

Now, let's delve into why champagne is a superb pairing for creamy cheeses like brie and camembert. Brie and camembert are renowned for their smooth, velvety textures and delectable flavours. The mild flavour and soft texture of these cheeses create a delightful contrast with the crisp, effervescent bubbles and fruity notes of champagne. The sharp acidity of champagne also helps to neutralise the fattiness of these creamy cheeses, providing a satisfying balance for your taste buds.

When serving champagne with brie or camembert, consider a classic pairing such as brie and brut champagne. The dryness of brut champagne welcomes the taste and texture of creamy brie. If you're looking for a sweeter option, camembert pairs beautifully with white champagne, creating a fresh and delightful duo.

In conclusion, a dessert cheese plate is a wonderful way to indulge your sweet and savoury cravings. Champagne, with its bubbly personality, pairs exceptionally well with creamy cheeses like brie and camembert, creating a sophisticated and complementary flavour fusion. So, the next time you're planning a dessert cheese plate, don't forget to include a bottle of bubbly for a truly exquisite culinary experience.

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